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Reshuffled Broncos defense may stay

Denver trying out some new players in spots

By Joan Niesen The Denver Post

Posted:
12/10/2013 10:44:06 PM MST

Updated:
12/10/2013 10:44:56 PM MST

Denver Broncos middle linebacker Wesley Woodyard (52) celebrates with defensive end Robert Ayers (91) after intercepting a pass during the first half of an NFL football game against the Kansas City Chiefs, Sunday, Dec. 1, 2013, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel) (Charlie Riedel)

ENGLEWOOD -- On Dec. 16, 2012, the Ravens lined up Michael Oher, Jah Reid, Matt Birk, Bobbie Williams and Kelechi Osemele along their offensive line when they faced the Broncos in Baltimore and lost, 34-17.

Not even a month later, Baltimore's line was utterly changed. With Bryant McKinnie and Marshal Yanda replacing Williams and Reid, the Ravens upset the Broncos in the divisional round of the playoffs. Three weeks after that, the very same line was on the field as celebrations began at the Superdome.

Take note, Broncos defense. It might not be too late to change.

Sure, one group is a hulking bunch of monsters charged with protecting quarterbacks, the other a hodge-podge of bulk and speed charged with stopping opponents, but on a more basic level, this is about change, not personnel. It's Week 15. The playoffs are less than a month away, and the Broncos' defense is virtually unrecognizable from the group that took the field in Week 1 -- and that was without Champ Bailey.

Let's forget for a moment about injuries and illnesses, although the list is long, with Bailey, Derek Wolfe, Kevin Vickerson and Rahim Moore being the most impactful. Instead, let's look at change for the sake of change, or for the sake of improvement, which these Broncos embraced wholeheartedly against Tennessee when they benched linebacker Wesley Woodyard and safety Duke Ihenacho, both season-long starters, for Paris Lenon and Omar Bolden, respectively.

"Some of this is giving guys opportunities to see what they can do," coach John Fox said.

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"We try to get better every day and every week as we move closer to the end of the season. I think it just helps us. Our agenda is to get better every day, that's what we're trying to do."

Read between the lines. As much as Fox is talking about guys like Lenon and Bolden earning time, he's also talking about getting better, and players don't earn time at the expense of others who are playing well. Ihenacho is young and has faltered of late, so slotting Bolden, another of the more junior members of the secondary, in his place isn't exactly baffling. Woodyard,though, has raised a few eyebrows.

The veteran linebacker, who's been a captain for his entire career and is the leader of Denver's defense, was on the field for only 10 plays of Sunday's game. He's been hindered by the neck injury he suffered in October in Dallas, and through 13 games, he's graded out as the 99th-best inside linebacker on Pro Football Focus; in 2012, the site ranked him as the 15th-best outside linebacker among those who played in 4-3 defenses. Even for a respected veteran, that in and of itself seems like a dropoff worthy of concern.

On Monday, Woodyard said to 102.3 ESPN that he's been told he's been benched to save energy for the playoffs -- and that he doesn't like it. That's all well and good, but a team that's still fighting for its division and home-field advantage doesn't just arbitrarily rest a player if he can have an impact. Woodyard did not appear in the locker room Tuesday to speak to the media.

So raise an eyebrow, complain about the replacements, but for now, this shakeup might not be a fleeting thing. Of course the fact that the Broncos have backups they think worthy of minutes speaks to the team's depth, but this defense is its biggest liability. Lucky for the them, even with so much at stake, commanding leads do make experimentation possible -- although still not necessarily easy.

"It definitely is hard," cornerback Chris Harris said of the defensive changes. "You have to build that chemistry up, and people are not realizing, all the young players are on the defense. Look how young our defense is. We have an extremely young defense, and just to have guys fill in is kind of tough."

For now, the Broncos' defense is playing a game of catchup -- both with new players and opposing offenses. This team isn't going to ride its defense to a Super Bowl, but right now, it needs to find the group that won't trip it up on its way there.

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